Prince Philip is relinquishing another of his royal responsibilities now that he is retired: he will no longer be Colonel of the Grenadier Guards. It has been announced that Prince Andrew will be taking over the position.
“The Queen has been pleased to give her formal approval to the appointment of His Royal Highness The Duke of York as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards,” a tweet from the Royal Family Twitter account read.
The Duke of Edinburgh has been Colonel of the Grenadier Guards since 1975, and has appeared at Trooping the Colour each year in the Grenadier uniform as colonel ever since. Prince Philip retired from public life back in May, however.
Last year, however, he and the 82-year-old Duke of Kent chose a morning suit and top hat for the occasion, a lighter and more comfortable outfit in the summer heat.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, does not currently hold a leadership role in the Household Regiment. He does have affiliations with other units, though, in the UK and Commonwealth, including the Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot), and the 9th and 12th Royal Lancers; back in April, he joined The Queen to add the moniker ‘Queen’s Own’ to the regiment’s name.
The Duke of York has also traditionally laid a wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday representing the Royal Navy.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York is Honorary rear commodore of the navy; he will now also take on the role of colonel of the grenadier guards. Picture by i-Images
This now means that Prince Andrew will join Prince Charles, Prince William and Princes Anne on horseback behind The Queen’s carriage at Trooping the Colour.
In response to the news, the Grenadier Guards tweeted their thanks to The Duke of Edinburgh for his 42 years serving as their Colonel. They also said they were ‘delighted’ to welcome The Duke of York to their regiment.
@RoyalFamily All members of the regiment would like to thank HRH The Duke of Edinburgh for all his has done during his 42 years as Colonel, Grenadier Guards. We are delighted to welcome HRH @TheDukeOfYork as our new Colonel and look forward to a long and happy association pic.twitter.com/CF8xsuxjSV
— The Grenadier Guards (@JoinGrenadiers) December 1, 2017
Like his father, Andrew has seen action in a war zone, having flown as a pilot in the navy during the Falklands conflict, and also holds a senior naval appointment. For his 50th birthday, he was promoted to Honorary Rear Admiral, becoming Honorary Vice Admiral in 2015.
What do you think of Andrew’s appointment?
1 comment
What a farce.